The present invention relates to a conveying device for rectangular, flat objects, such as letters in particular, comprising two conveying sections which are connected together by means of a direction changing conveyor section, and in which the longitudinal edges of the objects rest in a guide trough and are carried along by pusher fingers which are connected with a rotating pulling mechanism having one of its support or guide drums disposed in the direction changing conveyor section.
A conveying device having these features is disclosed, for example, in German Pat. No. 899,174, issued Dec. 10th, 1953, which shows, in FIGS. 7 and 8, a letter sorting mechanism having an input station and two groups of sorting deflectors arranged along the two conveying sections. The direction changing conveyor section according to the system disclosed in this patent is formed by a semicircularly bent trough having an approximately U-shaped profile, and the pusher fingers which act in the two linear conveying sections also serve as the drive member in the direction changing conveyor section.
The known conveying device is sufficiently dependable in operation only at a relatively slow conveying speed. In particular, malfunctions may occur in the direction changing conveyor section, for example, if objects are readily flexible or bendable in at least one direction.